Mary Lou (Bernini) Olson, 79, of Black Lick, PA passed away on Wednesday, May 9, 2007 at St. Andrew's Village, Indiana, PA.Mrs. Olson who was affectionately known as "Vish" to her family and friends was born May 24, 1927 in Black Lick, the youngest of eight children of Louis J. and Maria (Otelli) Bernini, formerly of Parma, Italy and Black Lick.Mrs. Olson was baptized, confirmed and married in St. Bonaventure Roman Catholic Church, Black Lick. This church community was later folded into the St. Francis-St. Louis Roman Catholic Church of Coral and Lucernemines, of which, Mrs. Olson was a member. She served on the Christian Mother's Society of St. Bonaventure and St. Francis.She graduated with honors in 1945 from Blairsville High School and went on to attain a degree in business from Indiana Business College. Post college, she was employed by Commercial Credit, Indiana, and later served as the office manager of the coal mining and foundry firm for her brother, Charles Bernini in Black Lick. Mrs. Olson was co-owner, with her niece, Betty Lou (Bernini) Spiardi, of The Sugar Bowl, a popular and well-known confectionery in Black Lick during the town's more prosperous times.Mrs. Olson served as a postal clerk for the United States Postal Service in Black Lick and Blairsville for 25 years. This included a period of time when she served as acting postmaster for the town of Black Lick. She will be remembered most notably as the affectionate lady behind the counter of the Black Lick Post Office, who always had a smile and good word for her clients and a lollipop for the neighborhood children. She was a member of the National Association of Postmasters and American Postal Workers Union and the National Association of Retired Federal Employees.Mrs. Olson was an active member of her community, serving on and holding officer positions in the Ladies Auxiliary of the Black Lick Fire Department and on the Burrell Twp. Park Board. It was during her tenure on the park board that the John P. Saylor Memorial Park was conceived for and dedicated to the town. She also co-hosted the popular annual Black Lick-Josephine reunion for many years along with her husband. The reunion once drew hundreds of former residents, many from out of state, during a daylong celebration of the former communities that Black Lick and neighboring Josephine once were. Her marriage to William N. Olson of Black Lick in 1951 produced two sons, William R. "Rod" of New York, NY and Fort Myers, Florida and Robert E. Olson and his wife, Rebecca Jones-Olson of Laurel, Maryland. She is also survived by a granddaughter, Emily; a sister, Della (Bernini) Guion of Black Lick and a brother, Daniel "Dutch" Bernini of Blairsville.She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, William N. in 1999, the former postmaster and township supervisor of Black Lick and brothers and sisters, Peter Bernini, Inez Bernini, Elizabeth "Nellie" (Bernini) Brida, Guerino Bernini and Charles "Keck" Bernini.The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 P.M. Sunday at the Shoemaker Funeral Home, Inc., 49 N. Walnut St., Blairsville, where a Prayer service will be held on Sunday at 8:30 P.M. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 A.M. Monday in St. Francis Roman Catholic Church, Coral, with Fr. Joseph Bonafed as celebrant.Interment will be in Blairsville Cemetery, Blairsville, PA.Memorial contributions may be made in Mrs. Olson's memory to St. Jude's Hospital, % Marlo Thomas, Department of Donations, 501 St. Jude's Place, Memphis, Tennessee 38105.
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